Liquid distributor



Oct. 21, 1952 A. J. DEWDNEY LIQUID DISTRIBUTOR Filed May 1, 1948 FIG.6

Patented Oct. 21, 1952 2;614,886'T: I LIQUID DISTRIBUTOR Alliertdl D'ewdney; Toronto, Ontario, at Canada, assignori to-l Triumph Dishwashers Limited,r. Tbronto,0ntario;Canada 1 l n Application Maytl, 1948; Seri'alNo; 24,531

This invention relates to a waterior liquid distributor forspreadingya stream of water; and more specifically" to" a distributor particularly adapted for spreading water throughout an enclosing chamber;

The principal object" of the invention is to provide a simple extremely efficient water distri'butingunit which, will, with theminim'um'of loss; effect the spreading of a" moving: water stream in such a manner as to distribute the water as a heavy flow 01" wash. of' large size globules throughout a volume surrounding the distributor to give'complete and thorough water coverage throughout the volume.

A further important object isto provide a prac tical-and relatively inexpensive form ofwater'distributor adapted to be arranged in 1 an enclosing v tub to givea' thorough coverage throughout the tubywhichflow maybe uniform r can be arranged'to provide desired concentrations of fast movingwater globules at specific points" within the-tub.

Theprincipal feature of the invention consists" in' providing a distributor" unit" having a' spirally twisted deflecting surface generated by 1 the-revolution are line with changing angle relative to the horizontal; and" rotatablyarr'anging the-distributor centrallyin the path ofan axiallyfn oving' stream to rotate in aplane perpendicular to thestream, whereby the water impinging on the deflecting surface of the distributor is deflct'ed spirally in accordance with the changing angle of the deflecting surface to provide a water coverage throughout-a volume swept out b y'the spirally deflectedwater stream upoh revolution a further and important feature consists positively rotatingthe distributor about anaxis" arranged axiallyof. the movingstream whereby the stream is deflected with the'minimum or" loss inmomentu'm. o

Referring to theaccompanying drawings,

Figure "1- is a part" vertical sectional and part elevational view ill ustratingmy nevi/distributor a'sus'ed for distributing an axially flowing stre'am thrownup by an impeller assemblythroughout anienclosing tub.

Figure 2 is: a part elevational, part sectionalr view showingmy distributor"astusedifor distrib uting aliquid'issuing from a; supply pipe;

Figure-31s aplan view of the-preferred form a a 2' a a Figure 5- isa vertical sectional viewtaken on the line 55Jof Figure 3. I Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view talcfenon" the 1ine6-'6"ofFigure3.' I l v o o Figure 7 is a vertical sectional" vievvtakeni on" the line T-l of Figure 3'.

Figure 8 is' a vertical sectional view taken on the lin'e88' of Figure 3."

Figure 9 is a plan'view 'of anaItemative form of distributoremployingpnly a single load.

Referring to the accompanying drawingsmy distributor comprises a" block l having'a central depending'hub randviorme'd'with a dome-shaped or"a1rcheduppersurfacei. V In Figures'l to' 8the'block is" shown in theiormr of two oppositely disposed'lobes '4*extendingout'- 1 wardly' of the central hub and these lcbesinplan have spiral shaped "periphery as shown in Fig; 3f spiralling inwardly; from the'vertical diametricali 1y opposite faces 5 towar'ds'the center; Thelobes thusydefine two oppositely disposed peripheral; notches 6 which extend inwardly to the; cone tralhub 2 to form a continuationofthe vertical wall' ofthe hub. p o i The undersurfaces T of Ithe. lobes" 4'form" deflecting surfaces an'd'are spirally twisted shown in the section'of Figs. 5 to 8"with the angle a of the surface of each lob'e'reIatiVe theJioE iz ontal continually changing'around the lobexincreasing from a negative angle as showninFig, 5 to an angle of 90 asshown in 8. l n This spirally twisted deflecting" surface Tot each lobe can be considered" as geneiatedlbystlie revolution of a line 8' revolving, about the center 9 which forms the center oftlie arc ofl'tliedomed upper surface 3 with the angle a between tlie line 8 and the horizontal continually-changing from a negative angle below the horizontal to the. vet;- tical'. In actual practice? or 'finishedconstnu'ction; of" course the deflecting surface is smoothly! blended or curved into" thehub zctoiprovide the a minimum of. resistance in deflecting an. axially moving stream ofiwater flowingupwardly around the hub 2. l a

My distributorjis particularly-adaptedfor disk tributing, atliqiuid' throughout:- an: enclosure. such: 3 asadishwashing compartmenton-thelike as lustratedin Fin l.- o N t c Intthe;illustrationor 1, the h b'yzi q 1 distributor is shown'a's: secured ttoithependtofeai shaft extension I 0= o-fiaimotonl I; thershaftexteni s-ion projecting throughthe center oi thebottbm; of l a tub II-in which: it is desired tozdistribute a liquid. I q it 1 M1 impeller: assembly I3 which: istisliomiaifii 3 of the type described in copending U. S. Patent No. 2,572,983, dated October 30, 1951, is arranged to direct a quantity of liquid lying in the bottom of the tub upwardly around the shaft extension .10 through the opening [4 in the top of the impeller housing l5 and against the under spirally twisted deflecting surfaces 7 of the distributor lobes.

In the operation of the impeller the obliquely curved impeller blades 16 carried by the sleeve .11 secured to the shaft extension I and rotat- I ing about the stationary radial vanes i9 forces the liquid or water upwardly of the housing ate sections 55 and 8-8 isdeflected at varying angles relative the horizontal corresponding to the varying angle a while at section 8+8 the stream continues vertically upwardly, i. e. upwardly through the notches 6.

Each lobe .4 thus efiects a spiral distribution of the stream from a negative angle relative the horizontal to the vertical. The positive revolution of the distributor in a'plane perpendicular to the stream flow. through the rotation of the shaft Iii effects. a distribution of the stream defined by the revolution of the spiral distributiorr providing in revolution, a substantially hemispherical distribution with the equipotential liquid pressure surfaces diagrammatically illustrated by the lines 2i, Figure 1, formingthe surfaces of a sphere. q

With this distribution obtained a complete coverage of all parts of the tub with a heavy flow of largesize liquid globules is obtained and this has ,been found to be extremely effective in scouring the surfaces of articles such as dishes or the like placed in the tub. u

' My distributor may of course be used wherever an outward distribution of liquid of heavy flow in all directions. around, above, and below the distributor is required. a

, In Fig. 2 the impeller assembly is dispensed withand,,tl1e distributor is arranged centrally in the path of astr'eiam of Water issuing with high "velocity from'the mouth of the pipe 22. Again the distributor is positively rotated by the motor 23 in a plane perpendicular to the directionfofofiow of the stream and about an axis coincident with the axis of the stream.

Qther arrangements may of course be provided for delivering "an axially moving stream against the deflecting surfaces 1 of the distributor.

7 With regard to the direction of rotation it has been found desirable to rotate the distributor in adirection illustrated in Fig. 3 to advance the highest portion of the deflecting surfaces 1 into opposite rotation of the distributor-provides an almost. equally efiective distribution; While the single lobe 24. As before the undersurface of this lobe will be spirally twisted and sections through the lobe will appear generally similar to the sections Figs. 5 to 8 with the angle of the deflecting surface changing from adjacent the horizontal to the vertical.

Similarly any number of lobes may be provided although where the number of lobes iseven a more desirable dynamic balance is obtained.

If it is desirable to distribute the liquid only above the distributor, the angle a will always be positive. Where a considerable volume below the distributor is to be covered the angle a will of course have a relatively high negative value relative the horizontal at the faces 5.

Where equal distribution is to be obtained the deflecting surfaces are a smooth or even spiral with the angle a continually increasing in equal increments around the lobe while if unequal concentrations are required the increment change in angle a will be controlled as desired.

In making the distributor it can be formed in a simple die-casting operation and can be readily manufactured at a relatively low cost.

In use, it will be understood that an extremely desirable and thorough distribution of a liquid stream throughout a volume is obtained and by slightly modifying the deflecting surfaces the desired concentrations of liquid at various points throughout the volume can be obtained.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A liquid distributing means comprising a block having a spiral under deflecting surface,

smoothly joining with a reduced central upright hub portion leadingto said deflecting surface, said deflecting surface spiralling about a vertical axis extending through said hub and progressive ly inclining upwardly atan increasing angle relative the horizontal and receding inwardly-around the hub towards the axis into vertical alignment with said hub portion presenting a continuallychanging deflecting angle around the hub, means V to rotatably support said block axially in the path about a vertical axis and formed with a central upright cylindrical hub and having a spirally shaped deflecting surface surrounding the hub and progressively inclining upwardly and receding inwardly around the hub from a substantially horizontal surface portion extending at maxi-..

mum distance radially outwardly of the axis of the hub to a substantially vertical surface portion in alignment. with the hub thereby presenting a continually changing deflecting angle relative to.

the horizontal around the distributor to deflect a liquid stream impinging thereon outwardly" in' a substantially spiral distribution from directions adjacent the horizontal to the vertical. I

3. A liquid distributor means comprising a block having an arched upper surface and a spiral-shaped under deflecting surface smoothly joining with a central cylindrical hub portion leading to said deflecting surface, said spiral defleeting surface progressively inclining'upwardly and receding inwardly around the hub from a substantially horizontal surface portion extending at maximum distance radially outwardly of the axis of the hub to a vertical surface portion in alignment with said hub and presenting a continually changing deflecting angle around the hub, means to-rotatably support said distributor axially in the path of a stream of liquid to deflect a portion of the liquid flowing as an annular column around said hub while permitting a portion of the stream to flow upwardly unimpeded, and means to rotate said distributor block in a plane perpendicular to the liquid stream flowto provide a substantially uniform hemispherical liquid distribution throughout a, volumeabove and around said distributor. l

4. A device as claimed in claim 3 in which said block rotating means rotates said block in a direction to advance the highest angle deflecting surface into said stream against liquid reaction acting to rotate said block in opposite direction to increase liquid dispersion.

ALBERT J. DEWDNEY.

6 REFERENCES CITED are of record in the UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date McGaffey Dec. 7, 1886 Bonnette Oct. 20, 1891 Rundquist Jan. 30, 1894 Hale Feb. 15, 18918 Coffin Oct. 27, 1925 Kettering et al. July 7, 1931 Myrick July 4, 1933 Heverly et al. Jan. 9, 1934 Preston May 23, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain May 2, 1908 Great Britain June 2, 1924 France Oct. 8, 1934 

